


Change of Scenery

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Daughter of Gotham [9]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 07:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3241433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashlea is watching the new Justice League go through its infant steps, and decides to go see how the other hero she knows is doing on his side of the country.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change of Scenery

All of Ashlea's concerns about escalation with her city's villainy were mitigated as she scanned the headlines of various costumed heroes having turned out to fight a small alien invasion. She had assisted at one fight near Gotham, getting to see the abilities of Superman, as the press had dubbed Metropolis's hero, up close. Her entire body still ached as she read the news of Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter defeating other aliens. She had caught one mention of Green Arrow assisting with the West Coast alien, but he seemed to have managed to be less a glory-hog on that one than usual.

No doubt he'd been flirting with the little blonde known as Black Canary, given his nature. It almost made Ashlea smile, even as she wrestled with a touch of jealousy. It wasn't as if there was anything between her and the Archer. 

"So the superheroics are there to protect us from space," Ashlea mentioned to Alfred.

"I will point out that neither you nor the Emerald Archer seem to be of that more-than-human stock, Miss Ashlea, and pray you do not think you are invulnerable to harm."

"I know better, Alfred," she told him, but she smiled over at him while they enjoyed breakfast. "It's almost like seeing a new Justice Society, with three of them wearing legacy costumes and names." 

"Indeed it is. Though the Black Canary of that era belonged firmly to Gotham, if I recall, and the Green Lantern was known to be seen here and in New York."

"Yes, but the Flash was from the other half of the twin cities, like this one claims to be." Ashlea pointed at the picture of the Scarlet Speedster. "No hat. Wonder if he realized the visibility dangers of it."

"Perhaps."

Ashlea looked the paper over one more time, pleased she had evaded the limelight, but also curious what these other heroes were like, and if they faced similar problems in their cities. Maybe she should find a reason to go to Star City soon, just to see what Oliver Queen was facing.

* * *

Ashlea had the most reason to be on the West Coast, to inspect the factory and check up on that end of the contracts she and Oliver had hammered out. She made certain her Gotham business was as tidy as she could get it, and then flew out quietly. She didn't want fanfare surrounding her at the other end, and rumors had her going off for a jet-set vacation instead. 

Wearing her best heels, a new dress, hat, and sunglasses, she slipped into the public tour of Queen's corporate headquarters not long after arriving in Star City. It felt good to actually tour her partner's business, see the mission statement being delivered, and get a measure for how the people bought it.

Ollie tried to make sure he was seen, even available for handshakes, if he was in the building on the day of a tour. As he'd come in to filch a few components out of his personal workshop, that meant he was in as he heard the tour winding toward the CEO office. Quickly scrubbing his hands, he ducked out into the reception area, broad smile on his face, as he tried hard to project his man-of-the-people routine.

And there was a woman. Well, several of those, actually, because he'd been recruiting at the local community colleges where the women and minorities had higher enrollment numbers, but there was one his eyes strayed to almost immediately. Her height, enhanced by heels, or the just-barely tinted sunglasses might have been the drawing factor. However, there was an itch of familiarity, and when Ollie ran it against all the women he already knew, he was certain that sun-shading hat she had on was giving minimal disguise to his very own partner.

He tossed her a quick wink, before speaking. "Nice crowd you have here, Miss Giordano," he said, looking over the group as a whole. "Anyone want to ask questions? Yes, I am Oliver Queen. No, I'm not actually looking to settle down; too married to making a better future for everyone else right now!" That got some laughter, but no one really wanted to be the first to break the ice.

The wink, combined with the way he _didn't_ call attention to her... oh, there were moments that man managed to nearly melt her right into a puddle. But no-one was speaking, no-one was breaking the ice, and she asked -- in a soft Queens accent, not her own Gotham tones -- "Where do you think Queen Industries is going to be having the most impact in... oh, three years?" 

Ollie gave that lazy smile again, the one that worked to make most women forget that he was a power player, and shrugged just slightly. "I see Q.I. supporting the modernization of home security, personal security, and all the support functions that go with it. By designing products to reach out to the average person, and then providing support for the use of those products, we create an economic circuit to enrich the community, protect its people, and apply the research and benefits of greater security to other avenues for that more modern future."

"So you believe in a networked environment?" one of the more senior students in the group asked, and Oliver fielded that, then the next question. He stayed until he'd hit ten questions, mostly about the future of the company, then held up his hands. 

"I do love the ideas you all are bringing up, so please stay in touch with us!" he told the group. "However, I do need to get moving to bring some of the fresh ideas to R&D while I have them in mind!" he told them with easy charm.

Ashlea hid her smile behind her hand, thoroughly enjoying watching him work the small crowd, the way he made all of the ones who'd asked a question feel like what they'd thought mattered to him. There was something so genuine in the way he did it, too, over or beyond the certainly practiced routine... She continued on with the tour group, seeing the rest of the facility (well, the public portion anyway), and only then slipped away from them. 

"Figured I'd catch you about right here," Ollie said from just down the corridor after she split off. "Looking to find my best bistro in town?" He didn't show any ill feelings over her touring unannounced. If anything, he looked like an eager puppy to learn what she thought. He came toward her, holding out a small badge. "Should have gotten you one of these months ago, just in case," he said as he offered the security pass.

She reached out and took it, smiling at him as she stepped just into his space. "Thank you," she told him after a glance at it, "and if you're offering lunch, that sounds wonderful. You're good at handling a crowd." She wouldn't have expected that, even though she probably should have. "It looks like your people have bought in wholesale, which's great to see."

A brief frown crossed his features before he managed to mask it. "It's better than the unemployment lines?" he half-joked to her. "Come on; I know a great little place not too far from here." He could not quite restrain himself from putting his hand at the small of her back as he guided her toward the elevator banks. "Hoping you like what you're seeing, as my primary investor."

What was wrong? She'd meant what she said as an honest compliment, not... She leaned back, just a little, into the way his hand settled on her. "Much better, I'd think, and yes, I do," she agreed, "I like what I see quite a bit." She'd run a check against his former board members, to see if he was still facing trouble from them. That might be the explanation for his frown.

She would wait to ask until they weren't still in the building, so no-one saw the boss looking unhappy. That never did anything good for morale, even if the reason for the upset was completely unrelated to work. 

Ollie took her down to the parking garage and into a yellow coupe, top already down… but then they'd passed two guards and Ashlea could see the monitoring cameras in every level of the garage. "I hope you like Tex-Mex; been on a kick for it lately. Different than my usual Baja flavors."

"...it's not a common style for me, so that sounds delightful, Oliver," she answered, smiling at him as she slipped into the passenger seat. 

"Good!" He got into the driver's seat and made the exit ride out of the garage a memorable feat of reckless driving, too fast and too dangerous even as they hit the traffic flow… but he had the reflexes for it. "Do I want to ask why you came out? No trouble, is there?" he asked once he was forced to behave a little more in keeping with local traffic regulations.

"No, no trouble," she shook her head, reaching over to lay her fingers on his thigh, squeezing gently. "Maybe I just wanted to see you?" 

He turned his head full around to give her an honest smile. "Certainly picked up my day," he told her honestly. He covered her hand as soon as he didn't need it on the shifter. "So lunch, no business… until we have to?" he asked her, just to know where his boundaries were.

"That suits me," she agreed, smiling back at him. It really would be nice to just have a meal with a friend, someone she knew and -- at least mostly -- trusted. That had been lacking, with losing Harvey to his… affliction. She had Alfred, and there was Lucius, and Leslie, but it wasn't quite the same. When Jason Blood was both in Gotham and paying attention to the outer world, he sometimes came by, but Oliver was different. Maybe she wouldn't even pry at his frown; surely she could deduce it on her own with a little digging.


End file.
